Chistlehurst v nice but pricey and if you commute, the centre is not near the station. Bickley is good too (where we are), walkable to Bromley town centre and both stations. Good schools across most areas - eg west wickham, shortlands, elmstead woods, chislehurst, Bickley. What kind of thing are you after? (Bromley gal who moved away for uni and then came back)!

I have family selling their house in Beckenham just now. Linky here but I have just noticed your budget is lower.

I know what you mean about the clientele of the pubs (I worked in the O'Neills by the station one summer) but do you actually frequent town centres in the evening yourself and have to experience it? They don't. Their contact with Beckenham town is limited to M&S and Caffe Nero on a Saturday, Waitrose on a Sunday and Munch the bakers on weekday mornings. All accessed by car, paying very little for short-ish term parking. And there are a couple of nice restaurants which are not direct neighbours of the pubs.

When they worked, they commuted to London from New Beckenham station which is (again from experience) SOoooooooo much better than going in to Victoria from B Junction. Is commuting a factor at all?

We looked in Beckenham and Hayes as well whilst house-hunting and are happy we ended up here in WW. DH commutes into London - we are a 6 minute walk to the station then there are 4 trains an hour into London Bridge/Charing Cross/Cannon St.

All the school here are great (rated good or outstanding). Our closest is 0.2 miles but there are another 2 within a half mile walk.

Shops are OK - there's an M&s Food and 2 Sainsburys. a couple of independent clothes boutiques, a baby shop, an old-fashioned sweet shop, an independent DIY place, along with the usual high St shops (boots, whsmith, Clarks etc). No chain clothes shops, but you're only a 10 minute drive into Bromley. There are quite a few restaurants and coffee shops too.